Pattern wheels of circular knitting machines



R. SCHMIDT 3,010,298

PATTERN WHEELS OF CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Nov. 28, 1961 Filed July'7, 1958 Fig. 1

United States Patent 3,010,298 PATTERN WHEELS F CIRCULAR KNITTINGMACHINES Richard Schmidt, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany, assignor toFranz Marat K.-G., Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany,

Filed July 7, 1958, Ser. No. 746,806 Claims priority, applicationGermany Dec. 7, 1957 7 Claims. (Cl. 66-50) This invention relates topattern wheels of circular knitting machines.

The pattern wheels of c rcular knitting machines have, for the liftingof the knitting needles according to pattern, their wheel axle arrangein a direction inclined toward the axis of the knitting needles in sucha way that the knitting needles whose heels hit against projections ofthe pattern wheel, are thereby lifted for knitting, while on the otherhand the knitting needle whose heels engage in recesses of the patternwheel are thereby caused to pass beneath the cams. These known patternwheels are provided in their circumference with recessed extendingparallel to or in inclined direction to the needle axis and at adistance from one another corresponding to the distance between theneedles. These recesses are closed up by inserts in conformity with thepattern.

The disadvantage of a construction like this is that in case ofdisturbances causing a lateral dislodgement of the walls of the recessesthe walls will either get deformed or crushed, so that the entirepattern wheel has to be exchanged.

In order to overcome these disadvantages it has already been proposed tomill into the pattern wheel radially extending recesses into which, inconformity with the pattern jacks are inserted with or without lateralsupport, which then are secured in their recesses by means of acoverplate.

The jacks with lateral support close up the interval and lift thecorresponding knitting needles.

From the jacks which have no support to the adjacent jack there is agap, so that the respective knitting needle is not lifted and,therefore, not moved into the area of the cam, and consequently slipswith its heel beneath the cams.

If a jack of this kind is injured, it will sufiice to exchange thedamaged jack.

That is a considerable advantage as compared with those known jacks orforms of construction in which the walls are produced as milled-inrecesses into which are inserted, according to pattern, the jacksclosing the gaps.

A disadvantage of this improved form of construction is however, thatthe jacks have to be taken out whenever the pattern is changed.

According to the invention this disadvantage is overcome by the featurethat in pattern wheels equipped with inserts arranged and clampinglysecured in radially extending recesses, there have been inserted andlockably secured radially shiftable jacks in the intervals between theinserts.

The pattern wheel of the invention is provided with a lower cover-plateupon which rests and to which is secured by means of screws a plateserving as jack support and provided in its lower surface and in itsupper surface with radially extending recesses. The recesses of thelower surface are positioned in the area between the recesses of theupper surface or vice versa, and in the recesses of the lower surfaceare seated and secured against displacement the pattern-wheel inserts,while in the upper recesses are seated the radially shiftable jackswhich when shifted in outward direction project with their free end intothe gaps between the inserts in the lower recesses, and which whenshifted in inward direction are retracted from the gaps between theinserts. An upper cover-plate seby Way of example.

cures the jacks in operating condition in the adjusted position.

The radially shiftable jacks are provided at their upper surface with anupwardly projecting arm which facilitates the shifting, necessary forthe change of pattern, by hand. When the pattern is to be changed, theupper cover-plate is removed and the radially displaceable jacks are bymeans of their upwardly projecting arms shifted into the positionnecessary for the desired patterning. After that the upper cover-plateis again secured in position.

Furthermore, the radially shiftable jacks are provided in the uppersurface of their free ends extending toward the center axis of thepattern wheel with a triangular recess, in which engages an annularprojection provided on the lower surface of the upper cover-platewhenever a jack is in working position, while another triangular recessis engaged by the annular projection whenever a jack is retracted. Theadvantage of this is that the radially shiftable jacks, whose positionswere incorrectly adjusted by hand, are automatically readjusted andcorrected in their position when, after a change of pattern, the uppercover-plate is again put onto the jacks; and that the jacks are therebysecured in their correct positions. 7

Pattern wheels provided with radially displaceable jacks secured inposition by a cover-plate have already been known to the art. However,these pattern wheels are of the initially mentioned type in which theradial walls at the circumference are formed by the milling of radialslots, and which for that reason are easily damaged.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be understoodfrom a consideration of the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification and in which an embodiment of the invention has been shownHowever, I wish to say that the invention is not confined to any strictconformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed ormodified, so long as such changes or modifications mark no materialdeparture from the salient features of the invention as expressed in theappended claims.

In the drawings, in which like parts are referred to by the samereference numerals,

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of half of a pattern wheel taken in staggeredradial planes to show the circumferentially staggered upper and lowerrecesses in the supporting plate for the jacks and inserts;

FIG. 1a is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 1a-1a in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of a radially shiftable jack;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of an insert.

Screwed onto the central hub 1, to be pushed onto the supporting bolt ofthe pattern wheel (not illustrated), and secured in its position on thehub by the counter-nut 3 is the lower cover-plate 2.

Secured to this cover-plate 2 by means of the screws 5 is the supportingplate 4 of the jacks. The supporting plate 4 of the jacks is providedabove and below with radially extending recesses 6 and 7. The lowerrecesses 6 are positioned in the area between the upper recesses 7 andvice versa so that recesses 6 and 7 are staggered in circumferentialdirection. Arranged in the lower recesses 6 are the inserts S, and inthe upper recesses the radially shiftable jacks 9. The inserts 8' aresecured in their recesses 6 by the pressure between the supporting plate4 and the lower cover-plate 2. The heads 8a are so shaped that theyproject in upward direction into the spaces between the upper recesses 7and the radially displaceable jacks 9, which are pressed by the uppercover-plate 10 against the supporting plate 4 of the jacks and thussecured in their position. The upper cover-plate 10 is secured in 3 itsposition and pressed against the supporting plate 4 by means of thenut'll.

Provided on the lower surface of the upper cover-plate is an annularprojection 12 whose cross-section is that of a triangle having itspointed end extending in downward direction. On the other hand, each ofthe radially shiftable jacks 9 is provided in'the upper surface of itsinwardly extending free end with a recess 9a of triangular shape, inwhich engages the annular projection 12 when the jacks 9 are in workingposition, that is to say, when they are in outwardly shifted position,as shown in FIG. 1. A corresponding recess 9a is engaged by annularprojection 12 if a jack 9 is retracted and in the inoperative positionshown in FIG. 1 in dot-and-dash lines. 7

The jacks 9 are provided with an upwardly extending arm 9b whichprojects from the upper recess 7 in the supporting plate 4. By mean ofthis arm 9b the jacks 9 can be manually shifted, after the uppercover-plate 10 has been removed. Furthermore, the upper cover-plate 10is provided in its lower surface with a recess in the area of the arms9b.

The arms 9b may also be so arranged that they are not covered up by theupper cover-plate, and that for shifting of the jacks 9 only looseningof the cover-plate 10 is necessary.

The connection of the plates 2, 4, 10 for cooperation with one anothermay also be effected by other means as illustrated and described in thisspecification. 7

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In a pattern wheel for circular knitting machines in combination witha central hub of the pattern wheel a circular lower cover-plate rigidlyand detachably secured to'the central hub; a circular jack-supportingplate rigidly and detaohably secured to the lower cover-plate, saidjacksupporting plate being provided in its lower and in its uppercircumferential outer surfaceportions witha set of lowercircumferentially spaced radial recesses, and with a set of uppercircumferentially spaced radial recesses, respectively, said upper andlower recesses being circumferentially staggered and alternating witheach other in such 'a way that the lower recesses are positioned betweenpairs of adjacent'upper recesses; a plurality of plate-like insertsrigidly and exchangeably supported in and extending from said lowercircumferential recesses of said jack-supporting plate and havingportions located at the level of said upper recesses and defining gapsbetweeneach other, said gaps being located opposite said upper recesses,respectively; a plurality of jacks exchangeably and radially shiftablysupported in and extending from said upper circumferential recesses ofsaid jack-supporting plate in such manner that said gaps between twoadjacent inserts are thereby filled up according to a pattern; and acircular upper cover-plate rigidly and detachably secured to the centralhub above said jacks for securing said radially shiftable jacks incorrect positions located in, or retracted from said gaps, respectively.

2. A pattern wheel as specified in claim 1, in which said radiallyshiftable jacks are provided with an operating arm adapted for themanual operation of the jacks and projecting in upward direction fromsaid upper recesses in which the jacks are shiftably positioned. V

3. A pattern wheel as specified in claim 1, in which each of saidradially shiftable jacks is provided on its upper surface in thevicinity of its rear end with a pair of triangular recesses; and inwhich the said upper coverplate is provided in its lower surface with anannular projection of trianguiar cross-section adapted to engage in oneof said triangular recesses of said shiftable jacks tothereby securethem in correct position.

4. A pattern wheel-as specified in claim '1, in which said radiallyshiftable jacks are provided an operating arm adapted for the manualoperation of the jacks and projecting in upward direction fromsaid upperrecesses in which the jacks are shiftably positioned; and in which theupper cover-plate is provided in its inner surface with a recess forhousing therein said operating arms of said shiftable jacks, so thatsaid operating arms are normally covered up by said upper cover-plate,but freely project from said upper recesses after removal of thedetachable cover-plate for a readjustment of the pattern.

5. A pattern control device for circular knitting machines, comprising acircular support plate having upper and lower peripheral surfaceportions respectively formed with a set of upper circumferentiallyspaced radial recesses, and with a set of lower circumferentially spacedradial recesses, said upper and lower recesses being circurnferentiallystaggered and alternating with each other around the periphery of saidsupport plate so that each lower recess is positioned between pairs ofadjacent upper recesses; a set of plate-shaped inserts located in andoutwardly projecting from said lower recesses, and having head portionslocated at the level of said upper recesses and defining gaps betweeneach other, said gaps being located opposite said upper recesses,respectively; a set of jacks mounted in said upper recesses,respectively, for radial movement between an operative positionprojecting into the respective gaps and located between said headportions 'of adjacent inserts, and an inoperative position retractedfrom said gaps; first clamping means for clamping said inserts to saidsupport plate; second clamping means for clamping said jacks in selectedoperative and inoperative positions to said support'plate; and means forsecuring said first and second clamping means to a pattern Wheel.

6. A pattern control device as set forth in claim 5 wherein the outerends of said inserts and jacks in op- References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sanders Mar. 28, 1933 Agulnek Sept.29, 1936

